Apparatus for draining and washing granular material



F65. 2, 1954 J. E. WATKINS EI'AL 2,667,881

APPARATUS FOR ISLRIAINING AND WASHING GRANULAR MATERIAL Filed July3,1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 5 Johfi 5. Watkl'ns marten B. mathea/S1954 J. E. WATKINS ETAL ,88

APPARATUS FOR DRAINING AND WASHING CRANULAR MATERIAL Filed July 3, 19482 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS John E. Watkins martin B. Mathews PatentedFeb. 2, 1954 APPARATUS FOR- DRAINING AND WASHING GRANULAR MATERIAL JohnE. Watkins, Maywood, and Martin B. Mathews, Chicago, 111.

Application July 3, 1948, Serial No. 36,916

9 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for recovering from wet granularmaterial the liquid medium with which the material has been treated, andit has particular reference to apparatus for draining and washinggranular material after removal from a liquid treating bath.

While not limited to such use, the invention is particularly well suitedfor operation in carrying out processes of the general type disclosed inour copending application Serial No. 36,915, filed July 3, 1948, nowabandoned. In the process disclosed in that application, the granularmaterials to be separated according to their different specificgravities are immersed in a liquid separating medium of appropriatedensity and the material which floats and that which sinks in the mediumare removed separately therefrom. The materials after removal areusually quite wet, that is to say, a substantial quantity of the liquidseparating medium is entrained with the granular material. To reduce thecost of such treatment, it is desirable to recover from the separatedmaterials as much of the liquid separating medium as possible for reusein the process.

With the above in view, one object of the invention is to provideimproved draining and washing apparatus by which substantially all ofthe liquid separating medium may be recovered liquid separating mediumdrained from the material and the wash liquor are recovered separately.I

A further object is to provide draining and washing apparatus for wetgranular material in which the washing liquid is applied to the materialin a novel manner, insuring thorough washing of the material with aminimum (11121111- tity of washing liquid.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description of the preferred embodimentillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of draining and Washing apparatusembodying the features of the invention, parts of the apparatus beingbroken away or sectioned to show details of construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear view of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a partially sectioned side view of one of the bucketsconstituting a part of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a partially sectioned fragmentary front view of the bucketshown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the bucket similar to Fig. 3 but sectioneddifferently to show the interior passages of the bucket.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, we have shown in the drawings and will hereindescribe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understoodthat we do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specificform disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternativeconstructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asexpressed in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus selected to illustrate theinvention is in the general form of an endless conveyor comprising aseries of interconnected material holding buckets l0 supported formovement upwardly in a steeply inclined plane and downwardly in anotherplane. As herein shown, the buckets I 0 are secured at opposite sides onendless bands or chains ll running over upper and lower sprocket wheelsl2 and I3. The sprocket wheels are carried respectively on horizontalshafts M and I5 journaled in bearings l6 and I! supported in verticallyspaced relation on a suitable frame (not shown). Provision is made fordriving one set of sprocket wheels so that the buckets travel upwardlyin their upper run as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and downwardlyin their lower run.

The buckets I0 are constructed with a particular view to facilitatingloading and unloading, to permit introduction of wash water in a novelmanner which insures thorough washing of the material therein, and topromote quick draining of the wet material. As the buckets are alike inconstruction, a description of one will suffice. As shown in Figs. 3 andi, each bucket H3 comprises a generally rectangular outer shellconstructed of sheet metal and providing a front 3 wall 20, a back wall2!, side walls 22 and 23, and a bottom wall 24. The shell thus definesan open top receptacle capable of holding a substantial quantity ofgranular material.

In the present instance, the side walls 22 and 23 of the shell areformed with generally triangular upwardly projecting extentions 25 and26, and with similarly shaped forwardly projecting extensions 27 and 28.These extensions overlap or interfit in nesting relation when thebuckets are traversing a straight path, thereby forming a continuousshield along the sides of the buckets to prevent objectionable splashingof water on the material being washed.

To obtain the most efficient washing action and to insure flushing ofall traces of foreign matter from the material being washed, provisionis made for introducing the wash water into the material from the bottomof the bucket for upward flow therethrough; To this end each bucket isprovided with an inner bottom member 36 supported in spaced relation tothe bottom wall 24 of the outer shell so as to define therewith a Waterdistributing channel 3: extending over the entire bottom of the bucket.To provide communication between the channel 3! and the interior of thebucket, the member 3!! is made of foraminous material such as screenwire of a mesh such that passage of the granular material therethroughis prevented. Support for the member 39 is provided in this instance byangular brackets 32 fixed to the walls of the bucket.

The channel 3| is arranged to communicate with an upright channel 33 atthe rear of the bucket formed by an imperforate back plate 34 spacedinwardly from the back wall 2| of the outer shell, as shownin Fig. 3.The channel 33, in turn, communicates through a lateral opening 35 witha wash water guide mounted on the sidewall 22 of the bucket, asdescribed hereinafter.

To provide for drainage of wash water or other liquid from the materialundergoing treatment, the bucket I is provided with an inner front wall36 of screen wire or the like spaced inwardly from the front wall 2!]and removably supported by angle brackets 31 carried by the side walls22 and 23 of the shell. The front wall 28 is preferably inclinedslightly, as shown in Fig. 3, so that its lower edge is spaced from theforward edge of the bottom wall 2 thus leaving an elongated opening forthe discharge of liquid from the bucket. Preferably, an elongated narrowspout '38 is mounted in this opening for directing the discharged liquidinto the next adjacent bucket of the series. The wash liquor dischargedfrom one bucket is thus used successively to preliminarily wash thematerial in succeeding buckets of the series.

The wash water guide above referred to is constructed and arranged toreceive water from one or more outlet nozzles 45 past which the bucketis traversed, and to direct a suitable amount of the water into thechannel 33 to effect a thorough washing of the material in the bucket.The guide is additionally arranged so that upon movement of theassociated bucket out of registration with the nozzle 49, the waterdischarged therefrom is directed to the guide of the next adjacentbucket. In this way eificient use of all wash water is insured andexcessive dilution of the washed out material is avoided.

In the exemplary bucket, the wash water guide comprises a side plate 4ihaving its forward and top edges shaped similarly tothe side; wall 22 ofthe bucket and the bottom wall notched as at 42 to provide clearancebetween the guides of adjacent buckets. The plate 4! is spaced laterallyfrom the wall 22 and together with an extension 43 of the rear wall 2|of the shell and an inclined plate 44 defines a generally triangularupwardly opening chamber connecting with the channel 33 through theopening 35 in the side wall 22. As the bucket passes the nozzle M thewater discharged therefrom is received in this chamber and directed intothe bucket through the opening Disposed between the wall 22 of the shelland the forward end of the plate 5! in parallel relation thereto is asheet metal member 45 having a lateral flange 46 at its inner endextending to the wall 22. A transverse member i? extending between themembers 4-5 and i! and the adjacent portion of the plate M formstherewith a spout for receiving the flow of water from the nozzle 48 anddirecting it into the next adjacent guide as the associated bucketpasses out of registration with the nozzle. Loss of water by splashingis avoided by dimensioning the spout to fit be- .tween the angularextension 25 of the wall 22 and a corresponding extension 48 of theplate M. Accordingly, all water discharged through the nozzle 4:) isdirected into one or another of the buckets Iii as the buckets move pastthe nozzle.

In the operation of the apparatus, the buckets l 0 are filled whiletraversing their inner run and the entrained liquid is drained therefromas the buckets move downwardly. Filling of the buckets is effectedthrough the medium of an inclined chute 5|, fragmentarily shown in Fig.l, positioned to discharge material into the buckets during theirpassage beneath its lower end. A shield 52 extending from the chute overa plurality of the buckets serves to guide and steady them during thefilling operation and eifectually prevents spillage of the material. Forguiding the buckets the shield is provided at opposite sides withdepending parallel edge portions .320. (Fig. 1) engageable in upwardlyopening slots 53 (Fig. 4) in the front walls 28 of the respectivebuckets.

Washing of the material to remove all traces of the entrained separatingliquid is efi'ected in the upward movementof the buckets in their outerrun. To facilitate a flow of wash water and wash liquor the buckets Hiare secured to the chains H in closely spaced relation so that theyinterfit or nest together in traversing the straight portions of theirruns. As shown in Fig. 1, the buckets are spaced apart so that thedischarge spout 38 of one bucket projects into the next lower bucket ofthe series. Likewise, the spout portion of the wash water guide projectsinto the main chamber of the guide for the next lower bucket.

The nozzles 40 are preferably supported so as to supply wash water tothe buckets as they approach the upper end of their outer run. In theexemplary apparatus, water is delivered to the nozzles through a pipe 49under control of valves 49a individual to the respective nozzles. Asplash plate 49b overlying .the buckets adjacent the nozzles confinesthe water to the buckets.

Preferably, the nozzles 40 are located adjacentthe top of the. apparatusso that the wash liquor is enabled to cascade down through a series ofbuckets before being discharged at the lower end of the run. In this waythe entrained liquid is removed progressively as the buckets moveupwardly and the material therein receives a final flushing with clearwash water as the buckets pass the uppermost nozzle 40.

To facilitate emptying, the buckets it are secured to the chains II forpivotal movement about a horizontal axis. To this end the buckets areprovided at each side with laterally projecting studs 55 (Figs. 2 and 4)engaging in bearings 56 secured to the chains. Provision is made forholding the buckets in upright position at all times except when passingover the upper sprocket whels l2, at which point the buckets are tippedrearwardly to discharge their contents into a hopper 51 (Fig. 1).

Positioning of the buckets is effected by cam bars cooperating withfollower rollers 58 carried by a transverse shaft 59 mounted on the backof each bucket. In the exemplary apparatus, straight cam bars 69(Fig. 1) maintain the buckets upright while traversing their outer run.The cam bars I50 terminate substantially opposite the axis of the uppersprocket wheels i2. Upon further movement of the bucket, the rollers 58engage curved cam bars 6| which tilt the bucket further to discharge allthe material therefrom. The lower portion of the cam bar 6! is shaped topermit the bucket to tilt back toward an upright position as itapproaches the chute 5i and straight cam bars 52 act to hold the bucketin such upright position while it is being filled. Additional cam bars63 serve to tilt the bucket forwardly for initial direct drainage (asdistinguished from removal by washing) of any liquid entrained in thematerial discharged into the bucket from the chute as the bucket movesdown through the remainder of its inner run.

Provision is made for collecting the liquid drained from the wetmaterial without dilution so that it may be reused in the separatingprocess immediately without further treatment. The entrained liquidremoved by washing is necessarily diluted, but due to the efficientwashing action obtained with the construction and arrangement abovedescribed, dilution is held to a minimum. To provide for separatecollection of the drained liquid and the wash liquor, a tank 65positioned at the lower end of the bucket assembly is divided by apartitioning wall 58 to provide a drainage sump 6i and a wash liquorsump 68. A shield 69 serves to catch any drippings from the buckets inthe outer run and to direct the same into the sump 58. The sumps areprovided with suitable outlets 69a and 'I'il through which the collectedliquids may be removed as required.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention providesapparatus of a novel and advantageous character for draining and Washingwet granular material. As some of the wetting liquid which was employedin separating out the granular material is collected without dilution byinitial direct drainage immediately after its introduction into thebuckets H], it is suitable for immediate use without further processing.Moreover, the wetting liquid recovered through washing is diluted onlyto the extent required to insure its complete removal from the granularmaterial, thus minimizing the cost of concentrating it to usablecondition. The high degree of efliciency attained in the washing actionis due in part to the novel manner in which the wash water is introducedto the material and in part to the novel arrangements for preventing thediversion of any of the wash water from the material undergoingtreatment. In particular, the arrangement whereby the fresh wash wateris six introduced into the last material bucket of a series tothoroughly flush any remaining wetting liquid therefrom and thereafterdirecting such wash liquor successively through the succeeding materialbuckets of the series contributes to the high operating efficiency ofthe apparatus.

We claim as our invention:

1. Apparatus for washing granular material including a series ofinterconnected material carrying buckets movable upwardly in an inclinedplane, a water supply nozzle supported adjacent one of the upper bucketsof the series, means for traversing the buckets successively past saidnozzle, and guide means on each bucket for receiving the waterdischarged from said nozzle, said guide means being alined in superposedrelation as said buckets move along the inclined plane, each of saidguide means having communication with the interior of its associatedbucket and including a member operative initially to direct the receivedwater into its associated bucket and upon further movement of thatbucket with respect to said nozzle to direct the water into the guidemeans of the next adjacent bucket.

2. Apparatus for washing granular material including a series ofinterconnected material carrying buckets movable upwardly in an inclinedplane, a water supply nozzle supported adjacent one of the upper bucketsof the series, means for traversing the buckets successively past saidnozzle, and guide means on each bucket for receiving the waterdischarged from said nozzle operative to direct it into the associatedbucket when that bucket is substantially alined with the nozzle, each ofsaid guide means including a spout portion extending into overlyingrelation with the guide means of the next adjacent bucket to provide achannel for directing the Water to such adjacent bucket as one bucketmoves out of alinement with the nozzle.

3. Apparatus of the class described including a series of interconnectedupwardly opening buckets supported for movement in an inclined plane,means for filling the buckets while in mo- J tion including an inclinedchute, means for moving the buckets successively past said chute, and aguard extending from the end of said chute over a plurality of thebuckets to prevent spillage of material delivered from said chute, saidguard having depending parallel flanges engaging in slots in the wallsof the buckets to guide the buckets while in filling position adjacentsaid chute.

4. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a materialholding bucket including a sheet metal shell having front, back, sideand bottom walls, means for introducing wash water to the material fromthe bottom of the bucket including a perforated member supported inspaced relation to the bottom wall of the shell, an imperforate innermember supported in spaced relation to the back wall of the shell, saidmembers and the adjacent walls of the shell defining channels fordirecting a flow of wash water to the material in the bucket, and aperforated inner member supported in spaced relation to the front wallof said shell, said shell having an outlet opening forwardly of saidlast-mentioned member for the discharge of wash water passing throughsaid last-mentioned member.

5. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a materialholding bucket including a sheet metal shell having front, back, sideand bottom walls, means for introducing wash water to the material fromthe bottom of the bucket including a perforated -member supported inspaced relation to the bottom wall, of the shell, an imperforate innermember supported in spaced relation to the back wall of the shell, saidmembers and the adjacent walls of the shell defining channels fordirecting-a flow of wash water to the material in the bucket, said shellhaving an opening at its lower end for the discharge of wash water, anda perforated member operative to prevent the passage of the materialthrough said opening while permitting the'fiow of wash watertherethrough.

6. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a materialholding bucket includinga sheet metal shell having front, back, side andbottom walls, means for introducing wash water to the material from thebottom of the bucket including a perforated member supported in spacedrelation to the bottom wall of the shell, an imperforateinner membersupported in spaced relation to the back wall of the shell, said membersand the adjacent walls of the shell defining channels for directing aflow of wash water to the material in the bucket, said shell having anopening at its lower end for the discharge of wash water, means forpreventing the passage of the material through said opening with thewash water, and a spout adjacent said opening for directing the flow ofwash water discharged therethrough.

7. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a plurality ofmaterial holding buckets each including a sheet metal shell havingfront, back, side and bottom walls, upwardly projecting extensions onthe side walls of said shell, forwardly projecting extensions on theside walls of said shell adjacent the lower ends thereof, the forwardlyprojecting extensions of one shell being operative to nest with theupwardly projecting extensions of the next adjacent shell to form acontinuous shield extending along the sides of the buckets.

8. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a plurality ofmaterial holding buckets each including a sheet metal shell havingfront, back, side and bottom walls, inner walls in said shell definingwash water channels extending along the back and bottom walls of theshell, the channel at the bottom of the shell communicating with theinterior of the shell for directing a flow of water upwardly through thematerial in said shell, and an outlet for the water at the front of saidshell comprising a generally rectangular spoutextending transverselyacross the bucket and having its upper-end located above the innerbottom wall and its-lower end projecting substantially below the bottomwall of the shell. 9. Apparatus for washing granular material includinga plurality of material carrying buckets interconnected in an endlessseries and supported for movement in a closed path a part of which isgenerally upright, a liquid supply nozzle supported adjacent the upperend of the upright part of said path, means for traversing said bucketssuccessively past said nozzle, and means on each bucket defining achamber portion and. a spout portion positioned for receivingsuccessively the liquid discharged from said nozzle as the bucket movespast the nozzle, said chamber portion communicating with the interior ofsaid bucket, and said spout portion alining with the chamber portion ofthe bucket next below in, the series to direct thereceived liquidthereto.

JOHN E. WATKINS. MARTIN B. MATHEWS.

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